Los Pecadores
Los Pecadores ( ロス ペカドレス, Rosu Pekadoresu; Spanish for The Sinners; 罪の騎士, Japanese for Knights of Sin) are a group of powerful spiritual beings considered to be among the oldest incarnations of demons that reside in Hell. They currently control and direct the newly formed Nueva Espada with the task of eliminating the Shinigami to bring about the total collapse of the dimensional barriers that exist between Soul Society, Hueco Mundo and Hell itself. They also control the Damnato to cause havok within the Human World and stress the Shinigami's defenses, serving as a distraction and a means of fracturing the enemy's forces. Los Pecadores are not their original names, and they were first known as Peccatores (偉大な罪 (ペカトレス), Pekatoresu; Latin for "The Sinners"; Japanese for "The Great Sins") It was only when the arrived in Hueco Mundo did they change their names to reflect the new environment they were in. A complete mystery, they serve as the main antagonists within the War of Souls Arc and the main rivals to the Gotei 13. Their power is stated to be higher than that of a shinigami captain and combined are equivalent to the Royal Guard. They are considered the most dangerous beings within the War of Souls universe. Overview Their roles are that they serve as the commanding officers of the Nueva Espada, possessing superior combat ability and higher levels of power to that of even Vasto Lordes. While the Nueva Espada are organized by their number, Los Pecadores aren't put into any ranking system. Instead, each is given a title named after the sin they represented. Also, although the Espada can act independently from one another, they ultimately follow any and all orders given by Los Pecadores, or face punishment, and even elimination. Even with the Espada's conflicting personalities and attitudes, they know to not meddle in the affairs of Los Pecadores and would never outwardly oppose them or their views. History Los Pecadores are considered the progenitors of the Togabito, though their vastly stronger power places them at a level far above them where they could be classified as their own entity. They were born from the sins of man since the beginning of time, and continued to grow more powerful so long as those sins existed. What first was simple desire born from the hearts of all living things, soon began to gain shape, eventually creating the bodies of Los Pecadores that existed as enormous demons within Hell. Because of their strength, they were each locked away on a different level of Hell, with Leo Grande residing in the deepest level, the Ninth Level. Within their large prisons, Los Pecadores were chained down for all eternity in fear of the devastation they could cause. But when the Catostrophe hit, and souls flooded into the Soul World, the barriers between all dimensions began to weaken from the strain, resulting in cracks to form between dimensions, pulling in nearby tortured souls. While these gateways can act as a means to escape Hell, traveling through the dimensional barriers greatly effects the souls stability and form. These cracks sent ripples through each level of Hell and eventually weakened the chains binding Los Pecadores. Some were even able to free themselves, making their way up each level, enslaving all souls on their way and even gaining command of the Kushanāda (クシャナーダ, Kushanāda). After gaining control of Hell, Los Pecadores secretly schemed for nearly a century, amassing an army large enough to invade all realms and overwhelm any defenses that stood in their way. Foribus One such crack in the dimensional barrier between Hueco Mundo and Hell is Foribus (地獄は戸口を粉々に (ポリブス) Poribusu; Latin for "The Doorway"; Japanese for "Hell Shattered Doorway") It is the term Los Pecadores use to describe where they gained their human form. Not much is known about Foribus, but Leo Grande described it as "a place of complete darkness, where light cannot enter." It appears as a massive cave opening, where a wall of black liquid serves as the doorway. The liquid is said to be a primordial energy that twists souls into hollows, but because it shares a connection with Hell, it also pulls souls residing in that plane through it like a black hole. While the souls swirl together, they exist is a pure formless state, and when a Pecador steps through, these souls gather around them and use its power to create a new appearance. It is not completely definitive how this process works, or even came to be, but the resulting Pecadores are a fierce group with immense power that rivals the combined might of the Royal Guard. Machina Once Los Pecadores had established themselves within Hueco Mundo, they began building machines around Foribus to siphon energy to create new Arrancar, who would be used for their new Espada and Fraccion, as well as fuel Machina '(マクヒナ, ''Makuhina). It is currently unknown what purpose Machina serves, but considering the level of power Los Pecadores wields, it can be safely assumed that it is a threat to Soul Society. Characteristics Though residents of Hell, they would not be classified as Togabito. Los Pecadores are so much more than that. As creatures existing for milleniums, each Pecador was bound to Hell by a '''Catenam (のろわの連鎖 (カテナム) Katenamu; Latin for "Chain"; Japanese for "Chains of the Damned"), thick black chains that bound them to the Ninth Level of Hell. When they were released, these chains snapped, allowing them to travel back up towards the Foribus, and eventually to Hueco Mundo. Now, like the remnants of an Arrancar's Hollow mask, each Pecador possesses traces of the Catenam that become visible if they will them to. They appear as snapped chains, bound to different parts of their bodies. Appearance Before they became Los Pecadores, they existed as demons locked away deep within the lowest levels of hell. They forms were truly monsterous and resembled nothing of what they look like now. While not yet seen, each Pecador resembled a massive beast of unmatched strength and power, who's viciousness were so extreme that they were isolated to a level all their own. Once they traveled through Foribus, their appearance was greatly altered to of something more human, but possessing their own distinct features and build. Unlike the Espada or the Gotei 13, each Pecador wears his or her own outfit suited to their personal tastes and personality. As such, each Pecador appears unique and their own individual among the organization. Physiology A Pecador's physiology is truly unique is that it first existed as ancient demons was neither a Togabito, nor a Soul, but existed as a force of nature formed by the desires of mankind, further granted power as civilization grew and fell. As more of their sin spread throughout the world, Los Pecadores fed on them, growing to enormous size and morphing into monstrous beasts. When they passed through Foribus, they became a combination of various parts of souls found in the deepest corners of Hell. This process also, limited their power, sealing away a huge portion of it under a cload of souls. Personality Traits & Mindsets Each Pecador represents one of seven deadly sins, therefore, they act accordingly to the sin they represent. This helps define their individuality amongst their ranks. For instance, Leo Grande is the representation of Pride, which in turn makes him very arrogant and overconfident, and showing great pride in his abilities. Ardent Zorn is the representation of Wrath, and therefore expresses moments of extreme rage when irritated or confronted. Current Pecadores Currently, there are only 4 active members within Los Pecadores, but it is known that there were originally 7 as the deadly sins imply. The other 3 Pecadores are deceased with the cause to yet be disclosed. Exclusive Powers & Techniques Below is a list of powers and abilities that are exclusive to Los Pecadores, and can only be used by them. These abilities share similarities to Shinigami, Arrancar and Quincy, with several of them being categorized as their combat arts. They even have the ability to access their original forms when they were bound in Hell: *'Perlabor '(幻悪魔 (ペーラボー) Perabo; Latin for "Glide"; Japanese for "Phantom Demon") By focusing their enormous spiritual energy, Los Pecadores are able to increase their speed in a similar manner to Shinigami and Arrancar, using it as a means of traveling and for defensive combat. The difference with Perlabor is that it makes no sound, or creates any form of wind or disturbence when moving, making this technique particularly deadly. With sufficient skill, it can appear as teleportation, with a Pecador appearing instantly without any warning. Only through immense reflexes and instinct can one anticipate a Pecador using Perlabor. *'Insigniis' (地獄聖人鎧 (インシグニス) Insigunisu; Latin for "Coat of Arms"; Japanese for "Hell Saint Armor") A Pecador possesses a naturally higher resistance to damage attributed to a denser frame and enormous spiritual pressure. Similar to an Arrancar's Hierro, a Pecador uses Tuitio as means of protection against attacks by channeling their spiritual pressure to create a second skin over their bodies. This "skin" negates any form of physical damage and can only be overcome by individuals with incredible power. The difference between a Tuitio and a Hierro is that Tuitio strength is also tied to the Pecador and can increase if surrounded by individuals who exhibit those sins. This means that only truly selfless individuals can negate a Pecador's Tuitio. *'Sensum' (罪検出 (センサム) Sensamu; Latin for "Awareness"; Japanese for "Sin Sensing") As the embodiment of all sins, Los Pecadores possess an extrasensory ability to identify those sins as a form of tracking. This form of awareness lets them locate individuals, regardless if they are attempting to hide or using magical means to erase their tracks. Los Pecadores state that the reason this ability can overcome magical barriers or forms of illusions is because it "finds the sins within a person's heart", therefore allowing Los Pecadores the ability to find their precise location wherever they are. The stronger the sin is present, the easier it is to find. *'Noxa' (地獄炎を殺す (ノックサ) Nokkusa; Latin for "Punishment"; Japanese for "Hell's Killing Flames") As creatures born from hell, each Pecador the ability to manipulate the fires that flow through every level. These flames burn orange and yellow, and their intensity varies with the amount of power used. What makes these flames unique is their ability to be molded and shaped into various objects, though typically they take on the form of a Devil's trident which a Pecador can use to skewer their opponents or delivered with explosive force. In fact, most incarnations of Noxa appear as speak like weapons, either released from a Pecador's palms or thrown like a javelin. The flames first appear like a flicker and quickly expand to whatever shape a Pecador wishes. Noxa can even be wielded as a makeshift weapon, able to deflect attacks and strike down their targets. *'Ostium' (魂炎通路 (オースチアム), Ousutiamu; Latin for "Mouth"; Japanese for "Soul Flame Passage") When traveling to and from Hell, a Pecador is able to access a temporary doorway known as an Ostium. To summon the doorway, a Pecador draws a straight line in the air with their finger, a thin trail of blue fire following its movement. Once its reached its maximum width, the line extends height wise to create an eye shaped opening lined in blue flames while the inside is entirely red. From that point, they are able to step through the flames to either appear in Hell or in the Human World. With a Pecador's level of power, they are able to create large openings where several individuals can travel through. Traveling through an Ostium is described as being quite painful as if an individual were stepping through actual fire as they passed between dimensions. Though originally created by Los Pecadores, the Damnato are able to use this ability, as well. *'Ars Diabolica' (悪魔の技 (アーツ ヂアボリカ), Asu Diaborika; Latin and Japanese for "Art of Devils") A Pecador's equivalent to Shinigami's Kidō or a Quincy's Gintō, Arte Diabolica is a series of spells that can be used for a variety of defensive and offensive purposes. With a Pecador's unique physiology they are able to access certain traits within the different souls it has absorbed. These spells are produced through manipulating their Reiryoku and vary in power depending on the level of user who's casting it. Unlike Kidō, Arte Diabolica does not categorize itself into different fields. But it is classified in some form of number system. Arte Diabolica is numbered from 1-72, a loose reference to the Lesser Key of Solomon and its conjuring of 72 spirits. When summoning its spells, a user simply holds their hand(s) out and generates a large magical seal in the form of a Key of Solomon and from their the spell is cast. *'Kushanāda Control: '''When summoning gateways from Hell, Los Pecadores are able to summon the Kushanāda to attack their enemies. While massive in size, they serve primarily to cause carnage and destruction, and will attack anything in their path. As such, they are summoned to keep enemies busy and overwhelm their defenses. *'Immortality:' Los Pecadores are connected to the sins of all kind. Therefore, so long as that sin exists, so do they. Existing for milleniums, Los Pecadores can never be truly killed as a single sin is enough to bring them to back to life. With that power, they were believed to be too dangerous to be left to walk the Human World and were instead inprisoned in Hell, forever chained. They do not require nurishment of any kind or even rest, as they receive all they need from individuals continuing to sin, continuously feeding them. If defeated, they are merely sent to Hell where they are chained up once more, albeit in a weakened state until their power returns. Vinclis '''Vinclis' (連鎖粉々 (ビンクリス) Binkurisu; Latin for "Unchained"; Japanese for "Chain Shatter") When they were finally released through the weakening of their chains, Los Pecadores found themselves rampaging through Hell and unable to travel through Foribus due to their massive size. With time, they were able to condense much of their power into smaller, more human forms which they used to step through the Foribus and arrive in Hueco Mundo. To make travel easier, they remained in their human forms, using the remnants of their snapped Hell Chains as cover to hold back their true forms. When a Pecador completely discards their chains, they will revert to their original form and have access to their full power. This grants a tremendous boost to their physical attributes and spiritual power, as well as access to new and more powerful abilities. While the process similar to an Arrancar's Resurrección, a Pecador's Vitium drastically alters its form to be consistent with the sin they represent. Leo's Vinclis resembles features of a lion, the animal representation of pride, while Ardent's is a raging dragon. Another difference is that Pecador's Vinclis is vastly more powerful, with their released power being able to overwhelm up to three seasoned captains of the Gotei 13. Also, a Pecador does not possess a weapon that their power is sealed into. Instead, they materialize a weapon of their choosing as merely an extension of themselves. Vitium Vitium (罪芯 (ビチアム) Bitiamu; Latin for "Cardinal Sin"; Japanese for "Sin Core") Entirely exclusive to a Pecador is what is known as a Vitium. A Vitium is the manifestation of a Pecador's sin that each can use to affect their targets. It is not represented by anything visual, though some instances it can be seen as a faint aura around their bodies. This aura can reach very far and target individuals or groups. Once the aura has reached a target, they will become effected by it, altering their personality and behaviour. A Vitium does so by reaching into a person's soul and finding any traces of the sin that is being used and greatly amplifies it and twists it to alter a person's mood. A Vitium's influence is so great that it can override a person's original behavior to turn them into something completely different. For example, Leo's Vitium of Pride will greatly amplify a person's confidence and desire to take on tasks singlehandedly. Meaning, they will rush into battles without ascertaining their enemy's weaknesses or strengths, and blindly attacks and becoming highly overconfident. The affected person will also become aggressive and even violent towards their allies if they try to impede them. This can result in allies turning on one another or ruining carefully laid out plans to place them at a disadvantage. Stigma Stigma (地獄の烙印 (スチグマ) Sutiguma; Latin for "Mark"; Japanese for "Hell Branding") A Pecador has the unique ability to embue an Espada with a Stigma, a mark of their sin which grants them a unique ability not found within the Hollow race. Similar to a Sternritter's Schrift, a Stigma is a representation of a specific power that an Espada can now wield. The process in which an Espada gains a Stigma is extremely painful with only the most powerful among them able to withstand the marking. Therefore, only the top 4 ranking Espada have been given a Stigma. Aside from wielding a new ability, Espadas with a Stigma have also been given boosts to their natural physical abilities and spiritual power, as well as access to casting Ars Diabolica, a Pecador's equivalent of Kidō, to further aid them when battling against the Shinigami. Trivia Coming Soon.